Trout Thrive in the Cold Waters of Western North Carolina

North Carolina rainbow trout continue to bring visitors to the area from all over the country and world while maintaining a steady local fan base.

A Carolina Catch

Buck Creek Trout Farm in Marion allows people to experience North Carolina’s trout differently: by catching their own. Bill Ross and his wife, Beth, now manage a business that was started by Ross and his father in 1981. With two creeks, a manmade pond and a raceway, the small farm offers a customized experience for people wanting to catch their own fish.

“It’s a very small, quaint business, but we specialize in customer service,” Ross says.

Located near Mount Mitchell State Park, Buck Creek Trout Farm has become a destination for people on their way home from the mountains. Yet the farm has enough attractions to keep people entertained for a full day, featuring a picnic area and a country store stocked with local gift items. The protected Mount Mitchell watershed ensures clean water in which the fish can thrive.

“These mountain waters where you have native trout that live in very restricted watershed areas are perfect for raising trout,” Ross says. “Raising trout does nothing but make the streams healthier.”

Many visitors have never fished before, and Ross and his staff are always willing to lend a hand. At the end of the day, Ross cites the freshness, affordability and sheer fun of fishing as reasons why people prefer to catch their own.

Despite dealing with seasonal changes in weather that sometimes have Ross and family tending to the fish in early hours of the morning, it is the sound of a child catching their first fish that makes the hard work worth it.

“It brings me back home,” Ross says. “Then I know why I’ve done this.”

A Burst of Color

Sunburst Trout Farms deals exclusively in rainbow trout. The rainbow trout originated in the western U.S. but has become an iconic fish in North Carolina. Raised in the clean, cold waters of the Pisgah National Forest watershed, trout from Sunburst are enjoyed in restaurants across the state.

Wes Eason, the third-generation owner-operator of Sunburst Trout Farms, never thought he would take over the family business, but now sees it as a privilege to do so. Located in Waynesville, the farm holds up to 200,000 trout at a time, which eventually make their way to restaurants, grocery stores and retailers across the state. The unique climate of Western North Carolina allows trout species to prosper.

“Western North Carolina is great for outdoor trout farming because of the water temperature,” Eason says.

Sustainability in Aquaculture

Restricted watershed areas ensure that the water in which trout are raised is unpolluted by industrial sources. This results in a cleaner, fresher fish that continues to draw people from far and wide. Aquaculture farms also allow other wild fish species such as salmon to regenerate by providing more options for customers.

For farms like Sunburst, sustainability is inherent to the business.

“Aquaculture in general and specifically rainbow trout aquaculture is sustainable by design in that we will always be able to continue to grow fish and we can provide people with fish,” Eason says.

Eason ensures that no part of the trout goes to waste. The inedible parts of the fish are sold and turned into fertilizers.

“We use everything,” Eason says. “That product is going back to the earth to grow other food.”

When it comes to serving trout, he recommends brushing the fish with olive oil, adding kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, and cooking on a grill over high heat for about four minutes on the skin side, then two minutes on the flesh. The result is a medium-rare trout with a clean, fresh flavor. For visitors across the state, this flavor is what keeps bringing them back.

“It’s what people think about when they come to the mountains,” Eason says.

– Wesley Broome